Ukrainian Drones Just Blew Up Another 5% Of Russia's Oil Refining Capacity

Ukrainian drones this week struck another major Russian oil refinery, the third in just under a month, and accounting for 12% of Russian refining capacity, which, as a result, was down 10% in January. This is a devastating impact, given that oil is Russia's primary export and a crucial source of funding for its war effort. 

To paraphrase former US Senator Everett Dirksen, 'a refinery here, a refinery there and pretty soon you're talking about real money...' JL

David Axe reports in Forbes:

The Ryazan refinery is responsible for 5% of Russian petroleum production. Drones struck the Ryazan refinery in Ryazan Oblast, 100 miles south of Moscow and 300 miles from Ukraine. The blast triggered a blaze that scorched the refinery’s primary oil procession unit. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones flew 450 miles to strike the Rosneft oil refinery in Saratov. That plant refines 2% of Russia’s oil. In late January, drones hit the Nizhny Novgorod oil refinery in Kstovo, 520 miles from Ukraine. This site handles 5% of Russian refining. The steady Ukrainian raids, undeterred by overstretched Russian air defenses, depressed total Russian oil refining by10% in January. February may turn out worse

Ignoring American attempts to force Ukraine into an unfavorable peace and extort it for its mineral wealth, Ukraine struck the Russian oil industry again on Sunday night or early Monday morning.

 

Drones struck the Ryazan oil refinery in Ryazan Oblast, 100 miles south of Moscow and 300 miles from Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, the blast triggered a blaze that scorched the refinery’s primary oil procession unit.

The Ryazan refinery is responsible for as much as 5% of Russian petroleum product production. It’s one of the bigger targets Ukrainian drones and missiles have hit in their long—and escalating—campaign of deep strikes targeting Russia’s most important industry.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones flew a distance of at least 450 miles to strike the Rosneft oil refinery in Saratov, in southern Russia. That plant refines 2% of Russia’s oil. And in late January, drones hit the Nizhny Novgorod oil refinery in Kstovo, in central Russia 520 miles from the front line in Ukraine. This site handles 5% of Russian refining.

 

Refineries can be repaired, of course. But the steady drumbeat of Ukrainian raids, undeterred by overstretched Russian air defenses, is taking a toll. Ukrainian attacks temporarily depressed total Russian oil refining by as much as 10% in January. February may turn out worse for the battered industry.

The abrupt realignment of the United States has not constrained the Ukrainian deep strike campaign. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has demanded a potentially $500-billion share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth while also excluding Ukraine from “peace talks” that have advanced a plan to hand Russia full control of the 20 percent of Ukrainian territory Russian troops currently occupy.

 

European leaders are aghast at America’s autocratic lurch. “It is clear that this government [under Trump] does not care much about the fate of Europe,” said Friedrich Merz, Germany’s new chancellor-elect. Merz and allied leaders are mulling the formation of a new European defense collective that doesn’t depend on U.S. support, possibly signaling the end of NATO after nearly 80 years.

Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky has walked a fine line, firmly rejecting U.S. demands while leaving the door open to further diplomacy that could soften America’s increasingly pro-Russian position.

But Zelensky has not offered to halt deep strikes on Russian soil. If anything, he’s set to step up the damaging raids. Ukrainian industry produced 100,000 long-range strikes drones in 2024, Zelensky said recently. “This year, we will make more,” he vowed.